Method and apparatus for the manufacture of sugar



0 5 y A. P. LEONARD ls'ruon AND APPARATUS FOR THBNHANUFAGTURE 0F SUGAR (HSS: .U 0.3M,

9x/ l 5H ATTORNEY 1926; A 1,568,512 l Y A, P. LEONARD `IBTHQD AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR Filed July 26, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 as -T ,l

WPI/WW Patented Jan. 5, 1926.

ALBERT P. LEONARD, OF N'W YORK, N.r Y.

`IMIETHIOD AND APPARATUS FOR TIE MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR.

...Application `r11-ea July 2e, 1921. serial No.y 487,693.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALBERT l). LEONARD,

a citizenof the. United States, and a resident of New York city, county and State of New York, have invented certain new 'and useful Improvements in Methods and Apparatus for the Manufacture of Sugar, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

Among the principal objects which 'the present invention has in view are: To increase the yield of sugar extracted from sugar cane ;y to reduce'the losses of sugar during the process of. manufacture; to pro vide a continuously functioning apparatus;

to reduce'thellaborcosts in the recovery of sugar from the cane and vby-products; to shorten the time required for the operations referred to; and to simplify the apparatusby which the operations are performed.k

. Drawings.

Description.

.As indicated in Figures 1 and 2`the sugar bearing 4material or cane is transported successively to the mills 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 of a battery of suchfmills from a conveyor 13, where it= is repeatedly crushed and macerated. The mills deliver the expressed raw and mixed or dilute juice to returnjuice pumps 14, 15, 16 and 17, and ultimately all of the raw and mixedfor dilute juice to the pump 14. alone, the product of the said-mills being rendered as a syrup by water and t-he mixed or diluted syrup delivered thereto by the pipes 18, 19, 20 and 21, the last of which pipes delivers a clarifiedl juice or water slightly saccharinc. the latter product beingr a portion of the juice or syrup delivered from the pump 14- to andthrough a weigher mechanism and a clarifier or liming tank 3() to'the separator and from the clear juicev hoppers thereof.

As seen in the d-rawingsthemillls 8 and 9, which are of the usual 3-roller type, are supplied with a macerating medium consistl r ing of water er preferably/fthe juice v,extracted by themi-llsilO and 11 while the mixed juice 'from the said mills is conveyed by the pipes '23 tothe pump 14, to be delivered therefrom by means of the pipes 24 to the juice weigher 25. The juices which are delivered from the mills 10 and 11 are mixed not only with the juices of the mill 12, but also the clear juice from the last separator and from the clear juice hopper 22 thereof by way of the pipe 21. The dilute sugar solution delivered by the pipe 21, after passing through the mill `11,-is transferred by the pump 16 to the mill 9, where it reenters the circulatory system and is conveyed by the pipe 2/1 to the juice weigher 25. Thus it will be seen'that in the present method the only waste product which is finally disposed of is passedby the pipe 2G from the mud and scum outlets 52 and 27 ofthe last or final centrifugal separator with which the manufacturing system is provided.

{The bagfasse or crushed cane is carried by means of intermediate carriers `28 from each of the mills tothe one next succeeding, to be finally transferred by the elevator 29 to the furnaces for use as fuel. y

As thejuice passes the juice weigher, it isdelivered to the'liming tank 30,*where it is treated with a small percentage ,ofr lime employed to neutralize the acids in the uice and perform the customary clarification when heated. The lime in the form of milk of lime may be introduced through the funnel 31, and pipe connected therewith, which, as shown in Fig. 1 of thel drawings, conveys the lime milk to near the-bottom of the liming tank." Frein the liming .tank the juice is forced by the pump 32 andthe pipe 33 connected therewith through the heater 34. After being heated inV the heater-which is of the usual construction and operation, the juices are conveyed by the pipe 35 to the hopperr of a centrifugal rotary separator 37.

As shown best in 3 of the drawings, the separator 37 consists primarily of a double point-ed elongated tubular chamber, the delivery ends 38 whereof are contracted, forming the laterally extending` apex of conicaliends 39 of the separator. The openings inthe ends- 3S are normally open,but arey provided with valves 40 by which their degree at opening may be regulated. yThe tubular chamber the yseparator mounted on the tubular shaft 4l, into which Hows the scum or lighter detritus contained in the liquid which is delivered from the hopper 36 by way of the pivotally connected pipes 42 and 43. The pipes 42 and 43 are connected by a gland pac-king' 44.

The pipe 43 is rigidly coiinected with distributing` extensions 45, by which the nicesare delivered to the separator 37, at a point removed from the shaft 4l. As the rotating element consisting' of the separator 3T, shaft 4l, and extensions 45 is rapidly rolated, the liquid contained therein has iur parted thereto a centrifugal eifect, so that, on leaving the extensions 45, the heavier materials contained in the liquid are immediately carried towards the frnsto-conical battles 46.

It is obvious that when the crude liquor is delivered from the extensions at the rear of the battles 46, the material separates on the lines of their specific gravity, so that the scum and lighter particles will occupy the region between the lines 4T and 48. The lines 48 are coincident with the inside surface Of the tubular shaft 4l, so that as the lighter material, being less affected by the centrifugal operation or" the apparatus, and by the approach to the center of rotation thereof, flows into the shaft 4l, to be carried thereby to the outlet hopper 49, from whence it is carried, as seen in Figure 2 of the drawings, by means of the pipe 50, to the refuse pipe 51, through which the deposits in the hopper 52 are conveyed to the hopper 53 of the next succeeding segarater.

Then the heavier products pass through the somewhat constricted openings in the batlies 46, they pass into the conical ends 39, where again separation between the lighter and heavier products takes place. rlChe lighter product, which in this region is the clear juice, is forced backward under the overhang` of the battles 46, into the space 54, from which lead the down pipes 55. The pipes 55 are normally opened so that the juices deposited therein may flow into the hopper 56, from which the accumulated juice is carried by the delivery pipe 57, through the pump 58, and the pipe 59, to other apparatuses, whereby the concentration of the clear juice and crystallization and separation ofthe sugar from the mother liquor is carried on.

Vhen the separator herein disclosed fully functioning, the detritus or mud suspended in the liquid is separated therefrom and delivered to the contracted ends 38 of the separator 37. To supply the necessary liquid for operation 0f the system, water is delivered thereto by circulating pipes 60 and 61 and lateral extensions 62 thereof. The stationary pipe G0 and rotary pipe 61 are .suitably comiecited by the gland paci@ ing 63, as seen best in Figure 3 of the drawings. The delivery ends of the lateral extensions 62 are juxtaposed to the conical heads of the valves 40, so that water delivere-d by the said pipe flows around the said valves, and forms a clearing stream through the openings in the ends 88, thus preventingl the damming` of the openings through the said endsby the accumulation of heavy mattei'.

lit becomes expedient'. at times to regulate the tlow through the ends To this end the valves 40 are held from seatingi by annular bands 64. rllhe bands 64 are suitably supported on adjusting screws 65, the heads 66 whereof extend beyond the wall of the hopper 52,t0 be manipulated by the attendant lo contract or expand the band 64, and thereby move the Ivalves 4() further from, or permit them to move nearer to, their seats, to vary the delivery openings in the ends 38. A similar construction is provided for regulating the seating of the valves 67, which control the delivery openings of the down pipes by. contracting and expanding the bands 68 by means of the set screws 69.

It is obvious that if the iiow of the clear juice from the down pipe 55 is too great to permit the liquid to remain in the ends 39, and in the spaces 54 suiiciently longr to properly separate, the flow from the said down pipes is retarded by adjusting the bands 68, and the valves G7 opera ted thereby. Likewise, if the -flow from the ends 3S is too great to permit the proper separation, this is regulated by means of the screws 66 and the band 64.

The separator 3T and the 4l connected therewith are rapidly, employingfor this purpose any suitable means, that shown in the present drawings beine` the belt pulley TO, which is operatively connected with any suitable prime mover by means of a belt. lt will be understood that the pulley 70 and parts connected therewith may be substituted by any other form of driving` mechanism, such as an independent electric motor. The standard 4l is supported in service by any suitable bearing, such as the pedestal il, and the ball races 72, mounted thereon.

By reference to the schematic view shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, it will be seen lthat the mud separated from the clear juice delivered to the hopper in the first separator 57 passes by means of the pipe 5l to the receiving hopper 53 of the second separator 37. It will also be underv stood that the performance of the second separator and parts connected therewith is exactly the same as that above described with regard to the tirst separator, the principal difference in the result being,l due to the fact that the liquor furnished to the tubular shaft This control is exercised rotated very lit@ second separator has been largely denuded of all saccharine matter. A further difference in the utilization of the second separator is to be found in that the hopper 22 of the second separator, which corresponds to the hopper 56 of the first separator, delivers the clear juice thereof, Which is slightly saccharine, to the pipe 21, through which it is carried back to the mill 11 to furnish the necessary liquid therefor, which, as above stated, is transferred therefrom With the richer product by Way of the pumps 16 land pipe 19, to the mill 9, and again carried through the remainder of the milling process and clarification plant. It Will also be observed that the refuse delivered by the second separator to its hopper 52, is conveyed by the pipe 26 to the refuse pound or dump, for use as fertilizer or treated in any other suitable manner.

It Will be observed that following the method herein outlined by using an apparatus such as disclosed, the separation of the saccharine matter from the juices treated is continuous, and may be carried to any degree deemed Wise or profitable, for While I have here described the apparatus as employing tvvo separators, it is obvious that more may be employed, if desired. Also it will be seen that by returning continuously the clear juice from the final separation to the milling plant for use as a macerating medium, the loss of saccharine` matter in the juices iskminimized to the smallest degree, due to the fact that the said juices are employed over and over again informing the necessary solution for separating the soluble from the insoluble constituent of the base materials or mud.

UZaz'ms.

l.. A method of manufacturing sugar comprising passing bagasse successively through a series of crushing mills, subjecting the bagasse at each mill to Washing by a circulatory liquid system, treating the liquid from said mills in separators, extracting clear juices from said separators, separating sugar from the juices from one separator, admitting extraneous Water into the system at said separators, and returning clear juice from the other of said separators to the mills.

2. A method of manufacturing sugar' comprising passing bagasse successively through a series of crushing mil-ls, and conveying expressed liquids from said mills to separators,

admitting water at the separators, extracting clear juices from said separators, separating sugar from the juices of one separator, and

returning the other clear juices to the mills for Washing the bagasse.

3. In a method of manufacturing sugar, the treatment of bagasse. successively in a series of crushing mills to extract juice therefrom, the subsequent treatment of the extracted juices in separators, for separating the clear juices therefrom, extracting sugar from the clear juices from one separator, the addition of Water to the residium of the separators, and the subsequent return of the other clear juices to the mills for action onk bagasse therein.

fl. A method of manufacturing sugar comprising passing bagasse successively through series of crushing mills, conveying juice from certain of said mills to separators, introducing water into said separators, extracting the clear juices therefrom, extracting sugar from the clear juices of one separator, and returning the clear juices from the other of said separators to another of the mills, returning the juice from-the last of the series of mills to the mill in advance of that receiving the liquid from the separators, and conveying juice from all intermediate mills to the first named mill.

5. A method of manufacturing sugar comprising passing bagasseV successively through a series of crushing mills, conveying juice from the foremost of said mills to separators, extracting clear juices from said separators, separating sugar from the clear juices from one separator, returning the clear uice of anotherseparator to anintermediate mill of the series, returning the juice from said intermediate mill to the said foremost mills, returning the uice from the last mill of the series to an intermediate mill in advance of that receiving liquid from the separator, and returning juice from the last named intermediate mill to the said foremost mill.

G. A method of manufacturing sugar comprising passing bagasse successively through a series of crushing mills, conveying juice from the foremost of said mills to separators, extracting the clear juices from said separators, separating sugar from the clear juice of one separator, introducing Water into the residium in another separator, returning the clear juice from the separators to an intermediate mill of the series, returning the juice from said intermediate mills to the foremost mills, returning the juice from the last mill of the series to a mill in advance of that receiving the liquid from the separators, and returning the juice from said advance mills to Athe foremost mill.

ALBERT l). LEONARD. 

